Dear Sad and Silent:
I have learned to speak in terms of resilience and not prep. I regularly engage in DIY projects because of the mental stimulation. I seek to know about all things, saying that I am a very curious fellow. Every fifth person laughs.
When I buy, I grab a little extra of nails, screws, oil, filters, et cetera. Commonly, I do household projects out of inventory, in terms of screws and nails, making sure to replace them. That does not mean it did not take three trips to the hardware store to finally get the stove installation parts right. Why is 15/16ths smaller than a ¾ fitting? My problem is that it seldom spontaneously occurs to me that I am wrong, scrounging electronic parts and tools in conjunction with what my Ham radio license teaches me.
Scrounging tools, dealing with metal cutting, and welding will eventually teach me. I’m yet to produce the first electronic gizmo or welded object, but I will. Gardening in GA clay is tough. Tree services have to pay to dump wood chips. Arrange a spot for one to dump on your property for free when convenient. Turn that with lime and/or gypsum into the soil. It is not as bad as you think; it’s only highly acidic.
You are not as alone as you think. Leaf covered water cubes, pallet tanks, or IBC totes adorn back yards. Hi-lift jacks hang on vehicles here and there. I am never the only one zeroing my latest acquisition at the range. When someone inevitably spots the pistol under my coat, they tell me about their favorite. Oh! And for the record, open carry is like having a “shoot me first” sign.
Yes, my wife makes fun of me rolling her eyes. She is also pleased when it is easy to plug the generator into the transfer switch and have lights and refrigeration (but not at the same time). Likewise, there was some potential event that came across the news that had the government saying it was important to have 30 days of food. It was a satisfying moment to be able to greet her raised eyebrow question with a confident nod. She was raised German, and those people shop nearly every day. Guess what she thinks of “one back” on the shelf much less 6, 12, or 18. I have won her over with my Sam’s TP, paper towel, paper plate, and napkin purchases. I load the dolly up every couple three months. – RV